सबको सन्मति दे भगवान….

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The current Iran-Israel-US conflict has very nearly brought the world to the brink of a major global crisis. The usual US chest-thumping and bravado was thwarted in the face of Iran’s determined response, proving that the latter are no pushovers. Trump is now trying to bluster his way forward and no one is willing to help him clear up his mess.

The whole situation, however, is a warning about how fragile global structures now are.  Those who are not directly involved in the conflict are also affected by it. For instance, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused a fuel crisis that affected the commercial food provider industry in India. (Talk about Chaos Theory!)

The looming threat of a global war put me in mind of the song ‘अल्लाह तेरो नाम’ from the 1961 movie Hum Dono, and which was penned by Sahir Ludhianvi. The character of Ruma (played by Nanda) sings this prayer as she awaits news of her soldier husband’s welfare. He is missing in action in the conflict with Burma during WWII, and she and other women similarly placed can only pray for the safe return of their loved ones. When men’s might takes charge and causes bloody situations, the women can only pray — the safe return of their husbands, lovers, brothers, sons, fathers is not assured.

I found it interesting that the lyrics of this song are almost identical in ideas to another song by Sahir, written for the 1963 movie Taj Mahal — ‘ख़ुदा -ए-बर्तर…’.

I quote both songs in full for ease of comparison:

Song: ‘अल्लाह तेरो नाम’, Film: हम दोनो (1961)

अल्लाह तेरो नाम, ईश्वर तेरो नाम

सबको सन्मति दे भगवान

इस धरती का रुप ना उजड़े

प्यार की ठंडी धूप ना उजड़े

सबको मिले, दाता, सुख का वरदान

सबको सन्मति दे भगवान…

मांगों का सिन्दूर ना छूटे

माँ बहनो की आस ना टूटे

देह बिना, दाता, भटके ना प्राण

सबको सन्मति दे भगवान…

ओ सारे जग के रखवाले

निर्बल को बल देने वाले

बलवानो को दे दे ज्ञान

सबको सन्मति दे भगवान…

Song: ‘ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर’, Film: ताजमहल  (1963)

खुदा-ए-बर्तर तेरी ज़मीं पर, ज़मीं की खातिर ये जंग क्यों है

हर एक फ़तह-ओ-ज़फ़र के दामन पे खून-ए-ईन्सां का रंग क्यों है

ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर ...

ज़मीं भी तेरी, हैं हम भी तेरे, ये मिल्कियत का सवाल क्या है

ये कत्ल-ओ-ख़ूँ का रिवाज़ क्यों है, ये रस्म-ए-जंग-ओ-जदाल क्या है

जिन्हे तलब है जहान भर की, उन्ही का दिल इतना तंग क्यों है

ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर ...

ग़रीब माँओ शरीफ़ बेहनों को अम्न-ओ-इज़्ज़त की ज़िंदगी दे

जिन्हे अता की है तू ने ताक़त, उन्हे हिदायत की रोशनी दे

सरों में किब्र-ओ-ग़ुरूर क्यों हैं, दिलों के शीशे पे ज़ंग क्यों है

ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर ...

ख़ज़ा के रस्ते पे जानेवालों को बच के आने की राह देना

दिलों के गुलशन उजड़ न जाए, मुहब्बतों को पनाह देना

जहाँ में जश्न-ए-वफ़ा के बदले, ये जश्न-ए-तीर-ओ-तफ़ंग क्यों है

ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर ...

While both songs speak of the destruction of war wrought on life and nature, and express concern for the fate of women who are the collateral damage in any armed conflict, ‘अल्लाह तेरो नाम’ is more muted in its sentiments. It has a reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan, which was itself adapted from ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ to make it more secular and inclusive. As suited to its source, ‘अल्लाह तेरो नाम’ is calm; its emotion is subtle. It focuses on the mental state of the women left to mourn the loss of their men. It is a prayer directed at any god who would care to listen and ensure the safe return of the soldiers for whom the war may not be personal — it may be only something that they have to do because they have been ordered to do so. As already mentioned, Hum Dono is set in the period of WWII, with which India became involved only because the British dragged us into it as their colony. (This is similar to the situation of the American soldiers who are not currently fighting a patriotic war but have been ordered to do so by their wrong-headed president.) At such times it is not patriotism that motivates the soldiers but a strict sense of discipline. They have no choice but to carry out orders if they wish to avoid disciplinary action. Their families are even more unable to comprehend the need for such unnecessary involvement and sacrifice. Little wonder then that the prayer focuses on the blessing of good sense for the decision-makers.

‘ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर’, on the other hand, while similar in ideas, expresses sentiments that are quite divergent. The focus is very different. There is certainly a prayer for conferring good sense on those who wield power but seem to have no sense at all (जिन्हे अता की है तू ने ताक़त, उन्हे हिदायत की रोशनी दे). But beyond this, there is a sense of bewilderment about why armed conflict is viewed as an effective way to settle disputes. Those who go to war may never return — is this what soldiers truly sign up for? Are they only cannon-fodder to the decision makers? The movie is set in the Mughal era, and the song is about a war being fought therein. Yet this song is as relevant to us today as it was to audiences in 1963. Sahir’s questions hit hard, especially in the wake of the 1962 Indo-China war, and which had, therefore, probably been immediate enough to resonate with audiences. (Interestingly, Sahir may be credited with the power of foretelling the future because he seems to have captured the perfect pen portrait of Donald Trump: Trump has an inflated sense of himself and looks down on everyone else (किब्र-ओ-ग़ुरूर), who has plenty of ताक़त but lacks good sense (हिदायत की रोशनी), who wishes to control and possess the world (तलब है जहान भर की) but is extremely self-centred (दिल इतना तंग).)

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Lata’s dulcet tones grace both songs, although ‘अल्लाह तेरो नाम’ puts one in a more devotional mood, whereas ‘ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर’ has more anguish. The former song seems like a direct line to divinity, whereas the latter is more ‘human’ in a way ‘अल्लाह तेरो नाम’ is not. Although, in ‘अल्लाह तेरो नाम’, on-screen it is a wife praying for the welfare of her husband, the mood is more devotional than desperate. Fear and hopelessness do not seem to have set in yet. The raag Gaud Sarang in which it is composed is notable for its calming effect. There seems to be a wish to instil patience in the listeners rather than to encourage their understandable panic. In spite of the situation, it does not make war and its horrors and needlessness as stark as ‘ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर’ does. The scale is middle to high, with sudden changes in pitch, which effectively signal the vicissitudes of war. On the other hand, ’ख़ुदा-ए-बर्तर’ is set in Todi, which is notable for its overtones of devotion, as well as pathos and anguish. Lata’s pitch is also higher in this song, and perfectly captures the mood of the raag and the lyrics.

Both songs are addressed to the Almighty, but one thought does intrude: does the Almighty really have the power to stop wars? If he does, why do wars occur at all? Given that Sahir is the lyricist, and he had already made his opinion about god’s interest in human affairs clear in the song from Phir Subah Hogi (1958) (‘आसमां पे है ख़ुदा, और ज़मीं पे हम/ आज कल वो इस तरफ़ देखता है कम’), it seems more likely that both songs show the inability of even god to put an end to human stupidity.